The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-17

You turn to the telegraph page and read the
headlines You want to know what has happen
ed Then she turns to the marriages" and
Deaths and you look at the editorials. go
cause here is another important function OF the
press. You have read what happened, now you
want to know what the editor thinks about it.
For the ewsraper has gro wn to be teacner L ne
editor, devoting his life and talent to the Work
or distributing information of current events,
grows into the habit ana acquires the right OF
SAYING something about it. Ii Is his right
When newspaper Sends reporter INTO tne
wilderness to discover a lost explorer and FOL
low tho Congo from fountain head TO
the shall he preach from the text he
earths villainy. exposes rascaIty. must it be
content with furnishing the tex. while the rest
of us develop il and preach the sermonst
The newspaper cannot help teaching. If il
had never editorial. still would teach in it's
news columns, and it would impress upon rs
the editors views and opinions Noah Webster
sought the newspaper as an ally of the dicton-
ary To the country Offices he went. laying
upon the ease of the compositor little list OF
nrinted words my boy he said to tho print
err when you come across any of these words
in copy. spell them as You see them spelled
the new spelling in print he stared at It, but
thought it a typographical error the next
time he wrote to the editor calling attention TO
the glarlng inaccuracy. The editor dehantiy re-
ferred him to the dictionary. and Con
slant Reader" looked. rubbed his eyes,
put his spectacles read aea,n:
the newspaper thrust, the new spelling under
his eyes day after day, and soon he forgot tnas
the had been spelled OlHerentIy-
How often do we little six-line dispatcn
made to mean Just what the designing CORE
spondent did not want il to mean, but the e1itor
did, not by labored editorial. bus by Keen
little head-linef How often the caustic head
liue like q couuter-lrritaut takes the sting out
of an equally caustic paragraph
paper It began mere bulletin
board; it grew into .n teacher srs. 1t be,
came the public vo .. Ola Suo S;ti.son
ana all the rest, scores and hundreds OF good
men who had something TO say. but couidn gee
anybody to listen, and who were unable to hire
= hall found an audience and q rostrum ready
for them, and rushed into ANONYMOUS publicity
with their wants. their aims, their suggestions
and complaints The newspaper caught the
coutagion and began to teach and to preach. Ii
sifted the mass of news laid at the doors OF tho
sanctum daily, and told Us briefly what IL an
meant. It assists its readers In making oeouc
tions from events in forming their judgment
If the editor does not or cannot do this, why
is he editorf As well might some
man go into a drug store and attempt to dag
nose their own maladies, and make up from the
bewildering array of healing medicines anu
deadly poisons their own prescriptions. as to d.
gsst all the news of single day to their own
good. You and I could do this, of course, but
other men cannot. 1t is the other men who
need the editor. And even-wel, will confess,
that sometimes ana loss to know just
what do think about four columns OF assorted
news until turn to the fourth page AND see wnat
nv favcrite paper thinks about IL. know some
men who never accept any assistance or sue-
geston in forming their Judgment upon any
some men who never think on any sub
iecs as anv ether living man does For
myself, I am very much given to consuming
wiser men than myself hence, go TO the phy-
sician for medicine. to my pastor for advice and
to nv favorise newspaper in dark ana trouo-
ulous times when 1 don't know just what my
politics are A newspaper without editorials IS
Lebanon without its cedars, q farm without an
orchard a dinner without plates, church with
ont a preacher, song without tune. Inc co
itorial 1--WE" is a power. 1t does not mean the
man who writes It 1t means the editorial
room and the business Office, the subscriber,
the advertiser, whoever reads the paper-except
only the man who borrows It.
The wise men recognize the fact that journal
ism has grown to be be a teacher without educa-
course of study, a skilled trade without train
ing school, and recognizing this, they nave
deemed it wise and necessary thing that
schools of journalism shall be established. In
which men of education and talent shall be pre-
pared for the profession of journalism as care
fully and thoroughly they now prepared
TO practice law and medicine. to teach and TO
preach -
this chaos of gossip of chatter OF prize fighter ana
opera singer Anarchist and peace society. bur-
lesaue actress and homo missionary. sporting
events and theology. crime and Christianity.
vice and virtue. vile rubbish and pure gold, our
f all this there come anything goods
/ believe the influence of the newspaper IS
for good. There is much to be weedsd out,
much that is frivolous, coarse. and bad. TIE
newspaper is not the advance courier OF the
millennium, but do believe its tendency and its
the dreadful newspaper boss" unless he has
something in his mind and. plans that he breads
to have discovered. The daily paper Is NOT
religious teacher: that is not ono of its func
tions. The editor does sometimes preach. out
when he does he breaches vague. wild, unin-
teliebe theology that passetn the understand
ing of the lay man, and is marvellous i3 the eyes
of the ministry. As rule. lay preaching Is
mainly to the edfcation of the preachers salt
But in its own sph9re the newspaper IS az active
ally OF the pulpit Between law and anarchy.
between a Christian Sabbath and goddess
Sunday, between morality and vice, the infuence
OF the newspaper is cast on the side or the right
Reputable journalism be held resposihle
for the scallawag papers no more than the Chris
tian church can be held responsible for the cao
men who make hypocritical profession or re-
lieiou good newspaper is a public conscience.
There are men who have no fear Of doing wrong
who are he'd in check by the dread OF exposure
evildoer who knows but one commandment,
Thou shalt not be found out" Often it is even
the partisan paper that rebukes what Is wrong
party methods When the independents de-
tsrmned to muewump, they were at no
expense to establish new journals:
| and influential went out before them and led
| them out. If it shall become proper for them
| to return, the newspapers will 60 at the head OF
| the column. The newspaper makes mistakes
| Nothing is infallib!s about the newspaper ex-
cept the man who could edit 1t, but who never
| does. The newspaper might be better AT this
| point the three minute warning bell rang and
| the speaker remarked THAT Is Lot the hrss
| chestnut bell that has been rung or me- j, ana
| think it will be. l think it shows steany I'M
| provemeut If sometimes, in 3 flight OF IN
/ chained fancy, it somewhat exaggnrates It's wa
| circulation, 1t generally strikes a fair average
| bv Understanding that of its loathsome con-
| temporary and by and by the average will Do
| more Justly established and divided The news
| naner ia growing in wisdom. in sense of justice
| and fairness in finer appreciation
of it's own respon sibility and influence IN every
| thing that will make it a leader and q moloer
| of pnbic thought and not mere follower OF the
| passing whim of the crowd. And
/ hope even as l believe that the world is growing
better and that the newspaper Is one OF inc
| helps that can make it continue to grow better.
| that the newspaper of to-day will go on IN
| creasing in wisdom and strength ana trutn,
| until II NAV become what il should be, not an
| echo of the voice Of the people, for an echo IS
| weak and uumeanne; not the voice OF the PEG.
| nile because the voice of the people may De, ana
sometim es is. unreasoning and wrong, but the